Coleman - Heart of the Gospel, The : the Theology behind the Master Plan of Evangelism

2011 by Robert E. Coleman

Published by Baker Books

a division of Baker Publishing Group

P.O. Box 6287, Grand Rapids, MI 49516-6287

www.bakerbooks.com

E-book edition created 2011

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any meansfor example, electronic, photocopy, recordingwithout the prior written permission of the publisher. The only exception is brief quotations in printed reviews.

ISBN 978-1-4412-3210-6

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is on file at the Library of Congress, Washington, DC.

Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture is taken from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version (ESV), copyright 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture marked AMP is taken from the Amplified Bible, copyright 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.

Scripture marked KJV is taken from the King James Version of the Bible.

Scripture marked NIV is taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version. NIV. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com

Scripture marked NLT is taken from the Holy Bible , New Living Translation, copyright 1996 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Scripture marked RSV is taken from the Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright 1952 [2nd edition, 1971] by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture marked TLB is taken from The Living Bible , copyright 1971. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.

With the keen mind of a theologian and the warm heart of an evangelist, Robert Coleman displays how evangelism is the heartbeat of all theology. This work is biblical and practicalvintage Coleman!

Timothy K. Beougher, Billy Graham Professor of Evangelism, Southern Baptist Theological Seminary

I have waited over thirty-five years for this book! It was the life and teaching of Dr. Coleman that convinced me of the inseparable link between evangelism and theology, and this has resulted in several books that I have written. Now we have a comprehensive treatment from the master himself in the style of biblical and theological writing that is devotionally rich and practically helpful, which we have come to expect from Robert Coleman.

Ajith Fernando, national director, Youth for Christ, Sri Lanka

Here is the theology of the Gospel in classic Wesleyan dress, vividly presented by one of its most honored veteran expositors. All who love the Lord will find this a heartwarming read.

J. I. Packer, Board of Governors Professor of Theology, Regent College

This magnificent study by Robert Coleman will undoubtedly become a classic among theologies of evangelism. With great personal sensitivity and elegant simplicity, he places the question of Why evangelism? into a biblical and theological context that is larger than many of us know. His study could very well ignite an evangelical fire within our hearts. This is a genuinely inspiring and instructive book not to missa must-read.

John A. Woodbridge, research professor of church history and Christian thought, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School

What rich wisdom learned from a life lived in the Word and in the teaching and practice of evangelism! Colemans love for both the Gospel and the Christ of the Gospel is contagious. Read and learn and worship.

Dennis F. Kinlaw, president, Francis Asbury Society

When Robert Coleman and I taught together at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, students would often tell me that his classes changed their lives, and I think that will also happen with those who read this book. He brings all the great doctrines of the Bible to bear on the topic to which he has devoted his life: the wonderful Gospel of salvation through Christ alone. Though Coleman writes from a Wesleyan/Arminian perspective, at many points he graciously explains the Calvinistic Reformed view and shows when both sides can agree regarding evangelism. He also warns against many false gospels today that deviate from the truth of the Bible. This book will awaken readers hearts to proclaim the Gospel, and no doubt to worship God.

Wayne Grudem, research professor of theology and biblical studies, Phoenix Seminary

To my students who have prayed for me and have given me the humbling honor of being their teacher

Introduction

Theology and Evangelism

Theology is the study of God. No subject is more instructive and elevating in the whole realm of human thought. Little wonder that it is called Queen of the sciences. Based on the revelation given to mankind finally and perfectly disclosed in Jesus Christ, it surpasses all other sciences in its quest to know ultimate reality.

The word theology comes from two Greek terms, theos (God) and logos (discourse), thus literally meaning God speaking. This corresponds to the impulse within the nature of God to make himself and his purposes known. That inherent desire to communicate bespeaks his love, which gives rise to evangelismbearing Good News. And what greater news can one hear than to learn of the love of God and his Redeemer Son, whom to know aright is eternal life.

In their origins, then, theology and evangelism belong together. When the two are separated in practice, as so often happens, both suffer losstheology loses direction and evangelism loses content. To use the analogy of C. E. Autrey: Theology is to evangelism what the skeleton is to the body. Remove the skeleton and the body becomes a helpless quivering mass of jelly-like substance.

Evangelical Theology

The Gospel defines what is popularly called evangelical theology. Its fundamentals, according to J. I. Packer, are the supremacy of Holy Scripture, the majesty of Jesus Christ, the lordship of the Holy Spirit, the necessity of conversion, the priority of evangelism, and the importance of fellowship.

John Stott reduces Packers six essentials to three (the last three he believes are but elaborations of the first three). Thus, using the three persons of the Holy Trinity as a rubric, evangelical priorities are summed up in the revealing initiative of God the Father, the redeeming work of God the Son and the transforming ministry of God the Holy Spirit.

Some scholars see in the larger revelation of Gods Good News a central core of salvation truth particularly in the preaching of the apostles. Prominent in the viewpoint is C. H. Dodd. He makes a distinction between preaching, the Greek term kerygma , meaning public proclamation to the non-Christian world, and teaching, the Greek word didaskein , addressed to the church.

However one wants to define the essential message, evangelical theology gets its name from the Gospel. As John Stott says, Both our theology (evangelism) and our activity (evangelizing) derive their meaning and their importance from the good news (the evangel).

For a concise formulation of the Gospel, based on the total revelation of God, one needs to go back to the great affirmations of Christendom hammered out in the first centuries of the church, particularly the Apostles, the Nicene, the Chalcedonian, and the Athanasian Creeds. To these early ecumenical statements could be added the confessions of faith developed through the history of the church, like the Thirty-nine Articles, the Westminster Confession, the New Hampshire Baptist Confession, and the Articles of Religion of the Methodist Church. More recent ecumenical proclamations of general acceptance among evangelical theologians would be the Lausanne Covenant and the Amsterdam Declaration: A Charter for Evangelism in the Twenty-First Century. Suffice it to say that evangelical theology and orthodox Christianity are cut from the same cloth.